Five ways Auburn can lose to Cal
The Auburn Tigers (1-0) are looking to keep the momentum going from their season-opening win last week when they take on the Cal Golden Bears (1-0).
The game will be a much tougher test for Hugh Freeze’s team as they will be making the cross-country trek to Berkley, California for the game. The Golden Bears also have several talented players and are coming off a big win of their own after blowing out North Texas to open their season.
While Auburn is the more talented team, the Golden Bears match up well with Auburn and are certainly capable of pulling off the upset. Here are five ways they can hand Auburn its first loss of the season.
Auburn has no answer for Jaydn Ott
Ott is Cal’s top player and Auburn will need to have a plan to stop the talented running back. There were questions about Auburn’s ability to stop the run all offseason and those questions have not been answered. They were gashed at times by a UMass offense and will now have to deal with Ott who is capable of ripping off big runs at any time.
He is coming in hot after rushing for 178 yards and two touchdowns last week, and if the Tigers can’t slow him down then it will be a long night for Auburn.
The travel
Auburn’s trip to Cal is about as long a road trip as any college football team can make, it is 2,460 miles from Auburn to Berkley, California. The game is also scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. CT, much later than Auburn normally starts its games.
Freeze made it very clear that he was not a fan of the travel needed for this game and it could easily have an impact on Auburn’s players.
They have to prepare for two quarterbacks
Cal named Sam Jackson V the team’s starting quarterback ahead of their season opener but he played just 18 snaps in their game against North Texas before leaving with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Ben Finley who answered the call, completing 24-of-34 passes for 289 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The two have very different skill sets, Jackson has elite speed and is a threat with his legs but is still developing as a passer. Finley is a pocket passer who has more experience but is not a threat to run the ball.
Auburn’s defense will have to prepare for two different offenses and that could be a difference in the game.
Cal shuts down Auburn's run game
Auburn’s running back room is clearly the strength of the offense with Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston and Brian Battie. While Hunter’s status for the game is still uncertain, the other running backs still give Auburn a potent rushing attack that can carry the offense. The Cal defense will pose a tough challenge for Auburn’s offense as they excel at stopping the run and are led by veteran linebacker Jackson Sirmon, who made 104 tackles last season.
It’s a small sample size and against a less talented team, but they held North Texas to 41 yards rushing on 27 carries last week. More importantly, they held opponents to 149.58 yards rushing and 4.21 yards per carry last season. If they can make prevent Auburn from running the ball efficiently it will put more pressure on the unproven passing attack and it could spell disaster for the Tigers.
The tempo will where down the defense
Auburn’s offense played with some tempo during the UMass game but they dialed it back during the second half. Cal did not make that decision and kept pushing the pace, they ended up running 95 offensive plays as they racked up 669 yards of offense and scored 58 points.
That many plays will test Auburn’s defensive depth as they will be forced to rotate the reserves in to try and keep the starters fresh for the second half. If Auburn’s offense is unable to control the ball it will only get worse and could cause the defense to get worn down as the game goes on.
